Chidsey, Donald – John the Great. The Life and Times of a Remarkable American

Description

Chidsey, Donald ‘John the Great. The Life and Times of a Remarkable American’ (John L. Sullivan) 1947 1st British edition. 335 pages. VG in G+ mylar protected jacket.

The 1947 hardcover of John the Great: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan (originally sub-titled in the US as The Times and Life of a Remarkable American) by Donald Barr Chidsey is a 336-page biography published in London by Chapman & Hall. This volume marks the first British edition of Chidsey’s acclaimed 1942 work.

Book Details:
• Author: Donald Barr Chidsey
• Publisher: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., London
• Publication Year: 1947 (First British Edition)
• Format: Hardcover octavo (typically bound in blue cloth and issued with a pictorial dust jacket)
• Length: 336 pages
• Subject: John L. Sullivan (World Heavyweight Boxing Champion)

Content & Overview:
• Cultural Biography: Rather than focusing solely on the statistics of a prize-ring champion, Chidsey approaches the book as the narrative of a monumental American figure who just happened to be a pugilist.
• The “Boston Strong Boy”: It chronicles the dramatic life of John L. Sullivan, the undisputed bare-knuckle king of the ring whose ferocity, immense charisma, and larger-than-life personality made him one of Gilded Age America’s earliest pop-culture icons.
• A Portrait of an Era: The text illustrates the rowdy late-19th-century boxing scene, tracing Sullivan’s journey from Boston barber shops and beer halls to his encounters with royalty—such as hobnobbing with the Prince of Wales. It also explores his staggering financial success (earning and spending a million dollars) and his eventual transformation into a dedicated temperance lecturer later in life.
• Features: The volume is enhanced by black-and-white period illustrations depicting Sullivan’s legendary fights and public appearances.